Panthers defenseman Gudbranson's stock still high late in second season

Third overall pick in 2010 draft has impressed team with his progress

April 11, 2013|By Steve Gorten, Sun Sentinel

SUNRISE — Back in elementary school, when playing the tenor sax sometimes cut into his hockey time, Erik Gudbranson dreamed of playing in the NHL, though he recalls not expecting to actually make it to 100 games.

That became a virtual certainty when the Panthers picked Gudbranson third overall in the 2010 draft.

Still, the 21-year-old defenseman said registering his 100th career NHL game Sunday against Ottawa was significant to him. He didn't score or assist but recorded two hits and three blocked shots in 20:27 of ice time in a performance coach Kevin Dineen called "fabulous" after Monday's practice for subtle reasons he said you only notice when reviewing it on film.

The performance came one night after Gudbranson was lashed a five-minute major in the first period and ejected for boarding Washington's Martin Erat, who was helped off the ice and into the locker room after his head slammed into the side boards.

It was the sort of uptick that has the Panthers encouraged about their investment in his second season.

"There's a little bit of a stock market to it," Dineen said, using his right hand to illustrate the trends. "There's been days where he's going, and then there might be a drop. But more than anything else, what you look for is that slow incline in the right direction … and he has made steady progression in the right way."

Gudbranson's stock was high after a rookie 2011-12 season in which he played 72 games, recording two goals, six assists and 78 penalty minutes, and then all seven in the playoffs. It dove when he wrecked his shoulder wakeboarding with friends on a lake in Ontario last offseason before the lockout, requiring surgery. After admitting to the team what happened, Gudbranson was suspended without pay and rehabbed the shoulder on his own. He started this season playing two games in the AHL before the Panthers recalled him from San Antonio.

"I thought he handled himself really well coming in after the injury," said veteran defenseman Mike Weaver. "He did a hell of a job coming back and being strong. Goody's well-respected in the dressing room and a lot of guys respect him on the ice. Last year really showed what he's capable of. There's a big upside with him."

Said assistant coach Gord Murphy: "We're happy with where he's at. He's picking things up quickly. He's a real student of the game, thirsty for knowledge and he wants to be an impact player."

Patience is often preached in regard to defensemen, who generally need more time to blossom than other young players. Gudbranson, who had zero goals and four assists in 28 games this season prior to Thursday, has yet to fulfill the offensive projections for him — NHL Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire compared him to Chris Pronger and Dion Phaneuf before the '10 draft — but has been a strong, physical defensive presence.

"I don't think I'm behind the 8-ball at all. I'm starting to emerge in my style of play more comfortably, and I feel much more solid out on the ice, more confident to make difficult plays, to jump up and be more aggressive," Gudbranson said. "Looking back at my first game in the NHL to now, I definitely feel more comfortable."

He added of being a physical presence: "When you're starting off, you're a little nervous to get in the corners to a certain extent. You don't really know the players and you don't want to p--- anybody off. But I feel more comfortable in the league and understand I'm going to play my game and other players are going to deal with that compared to me reacting to them. I feel much more proactive being more aggressive, and that needs to continue."

As he works through inconsistency, ice time hasn't been an issue. Entering Thursday's game at Winnipeg, Gudbranson was averaging 19:03 per game, almost five minutes more than last season. Injuries to Weaver and Gudbranson's mentor, Ed Jovanovski, have aided in his taking on a larger role. Last month, Dineen also designated Gudbranson an alternate captain, an honor he has rotated among players with Stephen Weiss out for the season, against the Bruins.

"With 100 games under my belt now, to a certain extent I feel a little more experienced," Gudbranson said. "I know the game, I know the players a little bit more. In saying that, I've only played 100 games. There's so much more to learn and a long ways to go."